Tryouts are a system for observing and placing players from each age level onto teams that will best suit their development and skill level.

Tryouts are not a skill session or practice, tryouts are similar to a test, evaluating development, skill, and gauging what each player has learned during their previous hockey seasons.

SLYH does not intend to rank or label any player; it merely holds tryouts for team selection. The leagues and opposing teams of SLYH are extremely competitive, with diverse skill levels for all ages and abilities; therefore, it is SLYH’s responsibility to place all players on the appropriate teams and subsequently placing those teams in the appropriate levels with the assistance of the affiliate leagues.

As there is no perfect system of tryout for every child, SLYH has strived to find the most equitable system to help maintain a strong competitive relationship with the affiliate league and help the development of our member players.

Our system is designed for maintaining a competitive based program, with emphasis on safety, fun, development, and creating a competitive athletic experience.

Players with an unpaid tuition balance will not be allowed to tryout for the upcoming season.

1). List of Drills for Mite, Squirt & U10 Level

Each player does the drill two times.

Sprint Pivot and Shoot – Players on boards in corner, sprint to cone at far blue line, pivot and skate backwards to cone at near blue line, pivot, and sprint to the same side opposite corner of the ice. Move the line to the other side, flip cones, and repeat drill.

Stickhandle and Shoot – From corner, carry puck around cones and shoot on goal. Drill will be repeated from other end of ice.

Stickhandle Tight Turns and Shoot – Same set up as above, but cones are wider, so player must tight turn around cones with puck, drive to front of net, then shoots on goalie.

4 on 4 or 5 on 5 full ice games- with one minute shifts.

2.) List of Drills for Pee Wee, Bantam, U12 & U14 Level

Each player does the drill two times.

Sprint Pivot and Shoot – Players on boards in corner, sprint to cone at far blue line, pivot and skate backwards to cone at near blue line, pivot, sprint to puck on blue line and shoot no deeper than top of circles. Follow-up shot for rebound. Move the line to the other side of cone and repeat drill.

Stickhandle and Shoot – From corner, carry puck straight at cones, and deke inside of cone. Repeat at each cone, and then shoot on goalie. Drill will be repeated to deke outside of cones, as well.

Stickhandle Tight Turns and Shoot – Same set up as above, but cones are wider, so player must tight turn around cones with puck, drive to front of net, then shoots on the goalie.

4 on 4 or 5 on 5 full ice games- with one minute shifts. Controlled contact allowed, but no checking.

Goalie skills will also be evaluated.

3.) List of Tryout Dates and Registration Process will be in the local paper and on the Lynnfield and Saugus Youth Hockey Websites.

4.) Coaches Evaluation Forms:

Coaches’ evaluation forms for their 2014-15 players will be performed.

Coaches’ evaluations will account for 50% of the tryout score.

Players who did not play SLYH the prior season will not be penalized.

Forms are to be filled out by ALL Head and Assistant Coaches – Due Mar 5, 2015.

5.) Process:

Each SLYH coach MUST practice tryout drills before the tryout, if possible

Each head coach and assistant will complete and submit player evaluation forms by March 5, 2015, prior to tryouts.

Only players in good financial standing with SLYH and all other Mass Hockey programs will be eligible to tryout.

Players will be judged by a third party evaluation team.

Evaluators will be coaches that have no child at the level they are evaluating.

Players will be rated by a point value system.

Players may be asked not to attend a 2nd or 3rd tryout if the evaluation team deems that player to be dominating the tryout session.

Players will be chosen based on skill level and not position.

Prior to team ratification board meeting, the 3rd party evaluator will complete and submit their data on a game and skill evaluation form. This data will be the average of the combined tryout scores and arranging all players in their respective age levels in the order of their ranking from the highest to the lowest.

Teams shall be split with equal number of players on all teams. If there is an odd number at an age level, the lower level team shall gain the extra player, unless that player’s score value is high enough to be consistent with the scores from the higher team.

If a player can not attend any of the tryouts due to a medical issue, coaching evaluations will be used to recommend that player’s placement.

If a player does not attend any tryouts due to non medical reasons, they will be placed on the lowest tier team in their age level and moved accordingly after the season begins.

During the ratification process of the SLYH board, no player name shall be published until all players are properly placed and all bubble player situations are resolved. Once assignment is complete, player names will be assigned to their piney number and given to the coaching director for him to officially submit to that team’s coach for notification.

All ranking and scores are confidential. Parents may ask for ONLY their own child’s score value and ranking.

Selection of the team’s coaches shall follow the player ratification.

Ratification shall take place in a closed full board session. SLYH policy is always having “closed session” when discussing players by name.

All players must be properly registered with USA/Mass Hockey no later than Sept 1st of their upcoming season.

6.) Roles:

Coaching Director is responsible for coordinating the tryout process, and to be assisted by the SLYH Board.

All decisions are to be on the coaching director’s recommendation and approved by the SLYH Board of directors. All changes must be approved by the SLYH board.

The 3rd party evaluation team shall not take the ice and evaluate from the stands.

SLYH board of directors shall use the information provided by 3rd party evaluators, coaches, and tryout committee, to uphold the policies and by laws of SLYH with respect to fairness, impartiality and the confidentiality of the children during a closed session of the Board.

SLYH Coaches will be assigned a skill station and team bench to manage during the on ice tryout events.

The SLYH board members will participate at each tryout for piney assignment, year of birth, and address verification for all participants.

SLYH board members must participate in overseeing at least one tryout sessions. A list will be sent out once the ice time is confirmed.

Third party evaluators will have the ability to ask the bench coaches to put certain players on the ice or change the format of the game, if necessary

8.) Coaches:

Coaches should not be on the ice or same bench with their child.

Coaches are there to monitor and direct, they are not to coach or encourage.

Coaching applications will be available at the tryouts for next season.

Coaches that are not properly patched from the previous year may not be allowed to head coach for the next season. They may be assistant coaches, however, will be removed if their patching obligation is not completed by 12/31 of that current season.

Coaching applications will be reviewed by the Coaching Director and will recommend selections to the board for approval.

1st assistant coach will be chosen from the applications with the recommendation from the coaching director and Board approval.

2nd & 3rd assistant coaches will be chosen from the applications and may be chosen by the new head coach.

All coaches must be properly registered with USA/Mass Hockey and complete a CORI form not later than Sept 15th of their upcoming season.